Corporate Consulting
	Political Consulting
	About Raynard Jackson
	Recent Columns
	Raynard In The News
	Pictures
	Events
	Links
	Contact Us
	Main Page

Archive

Published: Aug 24, 2008

VA Black Republicans favor Obama over McCain



By: Courtney Battle/Contributing Writer
8/24/08

The mood of Black Republicans like Raynard Jackson should make presumptive GOP presidential nominee John McCain nervous. Jackson, a government relations and political consultant based in DC, says he is not letting his lifelong Republican affiliation define him in the November presidential elections. He and many fellow Black Republicans in Virginia are voting for Obama to help him win the red state.

"I'm not going to be on the wrong side of history because of a party label," says Jackson, president and chief executive officer of Jackson & Associates. Jackson is also a radio personality, and his opinions have been featured in countless television shows and newspapers.

More than any other label, Jackson's heritage means the world to him, and he looks forward to the progress Obama's presidency could make throughout the US and the world.

Besides Virginia, Jackson hopes Obama will take Michigan, Ohio, Florida, and New Mexico, also considered traditional Republican strongholds. Except in 1964, when Democrat Lyndon Johnson beat Republican Sen. Barry Goldwater, Virginia has reliably voted Republican in every presidential election. That will change this November, Jackson believes.

"I think it's better than 50-50," he told the District Chronicles. "Nationally, the mood of the country is anyone other than a Republican. People in Virginia are just tired of the Republican brand. They want to vote with a winner.

A veteran political analyst, one key factor in Obama carrying Virginia will be the Black vote, Jackson says. Obama's local campaign operatives seem to have that covered very well, he said. Virginia is home to several historically Black colleges and universities -- Hampton, Virginia State, Norfolk State, Saint Paul's College, Virginia Union, Virginia University of Lynchburg, and Saint Augustine's College. Students at these and other universities are mobilizing a Students for Barack Obama movement that has the potential to make a great impact, Jackson believes.

Another factor, he says, is the youth vote. There're more than 200,000 new voters registered in Virginia since January 2008, and almost 64% are under 35, according to the Richmond Times-Dispatch. In addition, a recent SurveyUSA poll reported that among voters 18-34, Obama leads McCain 60 percent to 37 percent, and overall McCain leads Obama with 48 percent to 47 percent. That's a mere percentage point, Jackson points out.

Obama has blue-collar workers and the military, too, according to Jackson. Virginia is heavily populated with the military. An entry on The Huffington Post blog Friday should give Sen. McCain and fellow Republicans reason for concern. Jon Soltz, co-founder and chair of VoteVets.org, reports that members of the armed services overall -- whether stationed overseas or at home -- favor Obama over McCain by a 6:1 margin in contributions.

Obama also has Virginia Governor Tim Kaine, former Virginia Governor Mark Warner, and Sen. Jim Webb on his side. All three state officials are influential voices when it comes to Virginia politics.

"They're going to have a massive organization that the Republicans won't be able to compete with," he says.

Since July, the Obama campaign has opened 33 offices across Virginia. He has even reached out to smaller communities that have never even been touched by a Democratic campaign, such as Culpepper, Danville and Castlewood.

"That's unprecedented. He's planning on saturating the state of Virginia," said Jackson. "One thing most people are not talking about with Obama is that the reason he won the nomination is his organizational skills," Jackson notes. "He has been doing this since day one out of Harvard Law School. He has been doing this since day one."

His campaign has made it a point to reach Americans on a local level. "Grassroots organizing has been the backbone of the campaign," said Clark Stevens, communications director for the Virginia campaign.

In addition to his interactive website, countless volunteers are supporting his effort to cover all bases. Stevens explained that everyday the campaign offices are filled with volunteers who are making calls and knocking on doors. "They provide a hub for community activity across the state," he said. "When you have people who will show up at someone's house to do Obama parties, those people will vote, these people are committed."

Jackson and Stevens feel good about the state of the campaign. "Right now we're in a very close race and we're excited about the enthusiasm we're seeing for Senator Obama in Virginia," Stevens says.

Overall, Americans may just be ready for "a change we can believe in" as Obama's campaign states, Jackson adds

© Copyright 2008 The District Chronicles